Stay As Who You Are
by M Knightium
Summary: The Swarm were a united hive mind; more formidable than their ancestors and prone to none of the defects they had either. Each Drone was a fighter, all linked together to ensure not a single thing escaped their sight. However, what if one of them was born unable to hear the whispers of the Hive? What if he was born defective as an Imago, yet still rose to become something amazing?


The Hive was still as it was; active, working, and overall, in full progress of building an army capable of taking down the humans and finishing what their ancestors, the Locust Horde, left to come. The Locust Burial Ground located further away from any and all COG was busy; a Scion walking down a metal hall littered with Pods along the walls. He wore armor reminiscent of a Locust Savage Grenadier, but the difference was he had amber, unbreakable crystal lined down his back and along his left arm; giving it its own fleece like the other one. Like all Scions, he was not only directly linked to the Hive and all of the new generation of Swarm, but he was intelligent and fierce. He knew what was needed to be done, and how to ensure the humans were taken, and converted into new soldiers and new forces.

Even now, the Scion rounded a corner, watching a fresh, unconscious human be pressed to the wall and gradually encased in the thick, red fleshy material the Hive was lined with; the poor Outsider would no doubt be converted into a Juvie, in good time.

One of the pods began to stir, the Scion coming to a halt and watching a clawed hand puncture through, piercing cries escaping it before he took a long stride back, watching the hand shift into an entire pale fleshed arm; the pod being torn asunder and ripped open. A body fell to the flesh covered floor, writhing and quaking, as the Scion let the new arrival breathe and get used to his first few moments alive; covered in neon orange goop and with his mouth still sealed by flesh; flesh rapidly parting as the new Swarm soldier opened his mouth to suck in air. As expected, he could feel the eyes and ears of the new Imago added to the Hive; give it a few weeks and it'd be another Drone ready to serve the Hive and assist in capturing humans for processing, while slaughtering those who refused to lay down their weapons.

One by one, the Pods all opened and the Scion ensured the Imagos who all either tumbled, crawled, or climbed out of them were in a good, healthy condition with a full connection to the Hive; they could see all the entire Hive saw and that much made them stronger. With them all gone to mature, the Scion inspected the last Pod, watching it hatch as well, but the emerging Imago was different from the others. While the others had pale flesh, this one had flecks of emerald around his elbows and neck; said Imago rapidly looking around as he sucked in lungfuls of air, a common thing the Scion saw, considering those Pods never really had any…air, in there. His waist was narrowed, and his shoulders broad, giving him a top-heavier look, as well as more pronounced clawed feet, showing that he retained his Juvie legs but with more developed muscle mass for walking. But, the Scion had business to do; crossing his arms and attempting to sync to the Imago; to hear the pre-Drone's thoughts and induct him into the Hive Mind before sending him off to mature in the Hive before ultimately sending him to raid.

…the Scion was concerned seconds later. The Imago didn't show any reaction to the thoughts. The Scion tried once more, and still, no reaction; shifting gears to attempting to see what the Imago was seeing as well, only to be given the same results.

"…you are severed from the Hive…" It all made sense; the moment he spoke said Imago's head snapped towards him, perhaps not understanding what he said no, but at the very least, he could hear using his own ears, and see using his own eyes. "Can you understand me?" The Imago stared at him blankly. It made sense that the newborn didn't know Tyran, or any language at all; Imagos developed their language through the whispers of the Hive echoing to them enough for them to understand things better.

But, the Scion was met with a choice. This Imago was _technically_ defective, and would just burden the Hive. He could be silenced, and the mistake corrected. But…the newborn was still healthy. He could move, he could breathe, and he could still fight; he just couldn't hear the whispers of the Hive nor see their sights.

The Imago was a mistake, but this mistake could be used.

 _ **Snap.**_

The Imago glanced up when the Scion snapped his fingers to gather the newborn's attention; slowly pointing down the fleshy, Hive hall. It was the best sign to communicate that the creature needed to feed and mature, before being tested, and thankfully, the emerald-flecked Imago complied…in a disturbing way; actually skittering across the ground like a Juvie would.

" _Why?"_ A voice flooded the Scion's mind, no doubt from the one who they all listened to; The Speaker. _"Why did you let that one live, even when he cannot hear our whispers, or see our sights to behold? He is a burden; there is no benefit to keeping a defective Imago within our Hive."_

"He can still be useful. Who knows; this could be a temporary issue, and in time he will become truly one of the Swarm."

" _I hope so…none the less, Brutus, ensure that these new Imagos mature as intended. Once that is complete, begin preparations for a raid on another outskirt human village. Use the element of surprise, and wipe out any and all forces standing in your way."_ The former-Locust's mouth twisted into a grin. He enjoyed the whole notion of taking humans…breaking their will and turning them into more foot soldiers to continue what they started two decades ago.

With their armaments now, the humans would be the ones to fall, not the Horde.

* * *

The metal made a low clank noise as Brutus walked down the hall, ascending the metal stairs with his Hammerburst in hand. The further he walked, the less of the red, pulsating flesh of the Hive he saw. The Scion gradually moved far enough away from the Hive as he moved about the abandoned mines where the humans buried the Locust following the war's end.

…where they buried him, after he and his brother died trying to fight the Stranded humans. The memory still burned in his mind, the mind the hive already knew well. Brutus was one of the new Scions anyhow…he was still trying to come to terms with the fact that not only had the Locust been wiped out, but he had been dead for over two decades; he was _not_ a happy Scion.

 **Tap…tap…tap…**

"Hmm?" Brutus' attention was drawn by a papery sound; someone was down here. He clicked the safety off his Hammerburst and hunched over, beginning to walk slowly, eyes narrowed. Through the eyes of the Juvies, he couldn't see what it was…so whoever was down with them, they were in a strategic place. Thesond was rising more and more, as Brutus approached a closed door, to a room he knew contained only books and other things. The Scion's teeth clenched, and his foot rose; planting his boot square in the door's center and sending it across the room; the general stepping in and taking aim at the room's single occupant…and then he understood how this person infiltrated the Hive.

Because the person never infiltrated the Hive at all; this person was the emerald Imago from earlier! Brutus slowly lowered his firearm, snarling a bit, as his eyes observed what the Imago had been fixated on.

From what he could see, it was some sort of manila folder; opened to show some documents and notes over something. A step closer rewarded the Scion with his answer; the folder contained notes and documents on…well…them.

The Locust Horde; the folder contained early reports on the "mysterious, subterranean invaders" that ravaged Sera in only a day; slaughtering over one fourth of the population in said day. There were various pictures of the Locust in action as well from the perspective of unfortunate cameramen and women; carnage and chaos were the subject matter for the images and pictures…it almost gave Brutus a sense of nostalgia; he was there during the first charges onto the surface, and was a simple Grenadier during the attack on the infamous Halvo Bay, under General Karn. Over the course of time, he was promoted into a Grenadier Elite and eventually went Savage when the Hollows flooded.

…those were the days.

Brutus was drawn from his nostalgic trip when he felt tapping against his torso; his head drifting down to see the Imago tapping the folder against his torso; gaze darting between it, and him.

…it took him a moment to realize the newborn was comparing him to the Locust of the past, and when the Imago tapped the image, and then his chest, it answered everything.

He seemed to show an avid, heavy interest in the Locust of the past; almost as if he wanted to _be_ Locust. Brutus couldn't even count how many things were clearly wrong with the Imago: he looked thinner than the others, he retained his Juvie legs and locomotive style, and he had an avid interest in learning, whereas the typical Imago trained themselves with a single firearm until they reached maturity and Drone-hood, and from there, they worked to protect the Hive from outside intervention, along with assisting in raids to Take more humans for processing.

But despite these flaws, Brutus couldn't seem himself terminating the defective Imago.

"They were the Locust," He tapped one of the pictures, taking a seat in the second chair, and beckoning for the Imago to do the same. "Your ancestors…while you were born from different means, you are still like them, Gresh." The name popped into his mind; the Imago's discolored flesh reminded him of the same foliage he saw beyond the Hive. The Scion knew this bond was…in a sense, fickle and perhaps even dangerous, but…he still chose to do this.

The Imago's curiosity and drive to learn reflected on someone Brutus knew before the war's beginning…a Drone who he spent all his time with in the Hollows; growing up and learning together.

His brother…and unlike his brother, Brutus wanted to ensure he could protect someone. He knew the Hive could see these thoughts, and he knew they had issue to it, but he didn't care. They had enough Imagos and Drones needed to take settlements and wipe out humans anyhow.

…perhaps Gresh could be the one to learn and evolve; a mistake to exceed all expectations.

* * *

(This is a new project I'm working on, thanks to a friend helping me understand Gears of War 4 better and, begrudgingly, not hate the Swarm. I mean yes, they're nowhere close to the amazingness the Locust were but I can still see potential from them and I've not seen another story shifted to the antagonistic perspective for Gears yet, except like two, so this is the chance. I'm also writing another one of these stories set preluding Gears 4 with some special guests so stay tuned for that one; it'll be done once I get the chance. So, until then, stay tuned for various other stories and the rise of something no one ever expected.

That…tends to be honestly a staple of me; doing the unexpected and making it work wonders.)


End file.
